Biography

Andrew Magenau is an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science at Engineering, since 2015. He received his bachelor’s degree in plastics engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and PhD in polymer science and engineering from the University of Southern Mississippi under Professor Robson Storey. His dissertation focused on functionalizing polymers using click chemistry and synthesizing block copolymers by combining radical and ionic polymerizations. Upon completion of his doctorate, he joined the research group of Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski at Carnegie Mellon University as a visiting assistant professor where he focused on atom transfer radical polymerization, catalysis, and electrochemistry.

Following his academic training, he joined the National Institute of Health’s Molecular Biosensors & Imaging Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to develop genetically targetable fluorescent probes for live-cell imaging. Later, he joined DuPont’s central research and development as a Principal Investigator focusing on the production of bio-renewable materials for barrier applications. Magenau’s current research interests are centered on new polymer chemistries and materials for composites, self-assembly, adhesives, polymer upcycling, macromolecular modifications, and nanoparticle capture/protection.

Degrees / Education

• PhD, Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 2010
  Minor in Technology Development
• BS, Plastics Engineering Technology, The Pennsylvania State University, 2004
  Minor in Operations Management

Research Areas

• Health and Medicine
• Materials
• Advanced Manufacturing

Research Interests

Academic Distinctions

• 2020 College of Engineering Outstanding Early-Career Research Award
• 2019 American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) Young Investigator

Select Publications

• Riki M. McDaniel, Michael S. Carey, Olivia R. Wilson, Michel W. Barsoum, Andrew J. D. Magenau, Well-Dispersed Polymer Nanocomposites using Covalently Modified, Multilayer, 2D Titanium Carbide (MXene) and In-Situ “Click” Polymerization. Chemistry of Materials (Cover Article) 2021, 33, 1648-1656.
  doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.0c03972
• Joshua Lequieu and Andrew J. D. Magenau, Reaction-induced phase transitions with block copolymers in solution and bulk. Polymer Chemistry 2021, 12, 12-28.
  doi.org/10.1039/D0PY00722F
• Olivia R. Wilson, Riki M. McDaniel, Arianna D. Rivera, and Andrew J. D. Magenau, Alkylborane Initiated Thiol-Ene Networks for the Synthesis of Thick and Highly-Loaded Nanocomposites. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2020, 12, 55262-55268.
  doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c16587
• Renee L. Timmins, Olivia R. Wilson, Andrew J. D. Magenau, Arm‐first star‐polymer synthesis in one‐pot via alkylborane‐initiated RAFT. Journal of Polymer Science 2020, 58, 1463-1471.
  doi.org/10.1002/pol.20200089
• David H. Howe, Ken J, Jenewein, James L. Hart, Mitra L. Taheri, Andrew J. D. Magenau, Functionalization-induced self-assembly under ambient conditions via thiol-epoxide “click” chemistry. Polymer Chemistry 2020, 11, 298-303.
  doi.org/10.1039/C9PY01144G
• David H. Howe, James L. Hart, Riki M. McDaniel, Mitra L. Taheri, Andrew J. D. Magenau, Functionalization-Induced Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers for Nanoparticle Synthesis. ACS Macro Letters (Cover Article) 2018, 7, 1503-1508.
  doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00815
• Jessica A. Weaver, Samantha L. Morelly, Nicolas J. Alvarez, Andrew J. D. Magenau, Grafting-through ROMP for gels with tailorable moduli and crosslink densities. Polymer Chemistry 2018, 9, 5173-5178.
  doi.org/10.1039/C8PY01324A
• Olivia R. Wilson and Andrew J. D. Magenau, Oxygen Tolerant and Room Temperature RAFT through Alkylborane Initiation. ACS Macro Letters 2018, 7, 370-375.
  doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00076
• David H. Howe, Riki M. McDaniel, Andrew J. D. Magenau, From Click Chemistry to Cross-Coupling: Designer Polymers from One Efficient Reaction. Macromolecules 2017, 50, 8010-8018.
  doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.7b02041
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Jeffrey A. Richards, Melissa A. Pasquinelli, Daniel A. Savin, and Robert T. Mathers, Systematic Insights from Medicinal Chemistry To Discern the Nature of Polymer Hydrophobicity. Macromolecules 2015, 48, 7230-7236.
  doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.5b01758
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Saumya Saurabh, Sue K. Andreko, Brigitte F. Schmidt, Alan S. Waggoner, Marcel P. Bruchez, Live Cell Imaging of Subcellular Organelles Via Genetically Targetable Polymeric Fluorescent Probes. Biomaterials 2015, 66, 1-8.
  doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.07.002
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Nicola Bortolamei, Elena Frick, Sangwoo Park, Armando Gennaro, and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Investigation of Electrochemically Mediated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization. Macromolecules 2013, 46, 4346-4353.
  doi.org/10.1021/ma400869e
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Yungwan Kwak, Kristin Schroeder, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Highly Active Bipyridine-Based Ligands for Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization. ACS Macro Letters 2012, 1, 508.
  doi.org/10.1021/mz3000489
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Nicholas C. Strandwitz, Armando Gennaro, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Electrochemically Mediated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization. Science 2011, 332, 81-84.
  doi.org/10.1126/science.1202357
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Yungwan Kwak, Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, ATRP of Methacrylates Utilizing CuIIX2/L and Copper Wire. Macromolecules 2010, 43, 9682-9689.
  doi.org/10.1021/ma102051q
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Todd R. Hartlage, Robson F. Storey, Thiol-terminated Polyisobutylene: Synthesis, Characterization, and Derivatization. J. Polym. Sci. Part A 2010, 48, 5505-5513.
  doi.org/10.1002/pola.24359
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Justin W. Chan, Charles E. Hoyle, Robson F. Storey, Facile Polyisobutylene Functionalization via Thiol-Ene Click Chemistry. Polymer Chemistry 2010, 1, 831-833.
  doi.org/10.1039/C0PY00094A
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Nemesio Martinez-Castro, Daniel A. Savin, Robson F. Storey, Polyisobutylene RAFT CTA by a Click Chemistry Site Transformation Approach: Synthesis of Poly(isobutylene-b-N-isopropylacrylamide). Macromolecules 2009, 42, 8044-8051.
  doi.org/10.1021/ma901685p
• Andrew J. D. Magenau, Nemesio Martinez-Castro, Robson F. Storey, Site Transformation of Polyisobutylene Chain Ends into Functional RAFT Agents for Block Copolymer Synthesis. Macromolecules 2009, 42, 2353-2359.
  doi.org/10.1021/ma900070d